


at the outset

by Ro29



Series: Messing around in the Soft Wars Sandbox [10]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: 6 and Edee aren't either :(, Angst and Feels, Cort Davin makes me mad, Edee Feels, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Hound is not doing great :(, Star Wars AU - Soft Wars, except its an Au of the Au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:21:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28721292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ro29/pseuds/Ro29
Summary: 6, in one universe, is offered a replacement and he rages and tears at those who do so. Says no and takes what is left of his Squad and teaches them to be safe and unnoticed.in another, there is avod'ikalooking up at him when they try, and things change, just a bit.(An Alternate take on a moment in the Soft Wars universe)
Relationships: Hound (Star Wars) & Alpha-6
Series: Messing around in the Soft Wars Sandbox [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937752
Comments: 8
Kudos: 86
Collections: Open Source Soft Wars





	at the outset

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Project0506](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506/gifts), [SailorSol](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorSol/gifts), [lastbattlecry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastbattlecry/gifts).



> Huge thanks to Cry for encouraging me and helping me get the courage up to do this. 
> 
> This is a shift from Soft Wars that stuck in my head after a brief discussion popped up about Edee, Bral, 6, 83, and Hound, and this scene made itself known.

Maybe, in a different universe — one where there isn’t a little cadet standing in front of him, quiet and watchful and resigned — he would say no, would rage and rip and tear at these people who think they can steal one of his, who think a replacement will be enough to fix anything, to set him at ease again.

But here, now, there is a cadet standing quiet by the longneck’s side. Standing still without a fidget or a tremor, eyes intense and breathing even.

6 thinks, through his rage, that the kid looks like he could stay like that for days, waiting out this decision about where he fits now that he’s been deemed, in the longneck’s impersonal words, ‘ _Sufficient but not up to the standards and expectations Trainer Davin required.”_

6 could say no, can feel it bubble up in his throat, the anger and fury near overwhelm him in his outrage that they think he wants a _replacement_ , as if Neyo is easy to switch out for any other cadet. As if Squad Edee could function the same with a stranger as they could with Neyo.

He looks at the longneck and almost says no, even still.

6 thinks of these idiots he’s wrangled since they were small and all the ways they’ve changed — all the ways he’s helped them change — in the time since 6 let Priest take Neyo away.

Thinks of the fact that catching Fox draped across Neyo will be an impossibility now when before it was a fact of life. Thinks of Fox lashing out and Gree withdrawing and Colt trying to hide his fierce protectiveness poorly. Thinks of how tightly they’ve closed ranks. Lets it wash over him and pushes the anger aside until he can best wield it.

He looks at the kid and thinks of everything he has heard about Davin. Watches the way the kid never shifts or trembles or even sways as he stands waiting, arm bandaged up and dark circles under his eyes. Thinks of how the only movement had been a flinch at the word _sufficient_ , easily covered up, tucked away. His watchful eyes shuttered.

Watching and waiting and showing nothing but what 6 imagines someone, Davin maybe, wanted to see.

6 wonders how much of who the kid was before is left.

He swallows down his rage, puts it away for now.

Says, “Yes.” as if he isn’t choking on it.

Fox, 6 knows, might never forgive him for this. 6 might never forgive himself.

But there is a _vod’ika_ with no squad to return to standing right there in front of him, who has been deemed only sufficient. And 6 is an asshole, is a fucking _bastard_ when he wants to be, but he tries not to be cruel.

6 watches the cadet, as the longneck leaves, brings his arms up and crosses them. Watches as the kid tracks the movement with an intensity that makes 6 clench his jaw.

_Sufficient_ , the longneck said, and 6 thinks that just meant Davin couldn’t see the promise bubbling under the kid's skin anymore.

The kid looks up at him and 6 hopes this wasn’t a mistake.

He doesn’t think the kid could handle Edee rejecting him.

6 has more faith in his shitheads then that, _hopes_ for better than that but—

Fox is angry and Gree is unsure and Colt is trying to keep them all going in whatever way he can manage and they are all orbiting around the spot where Neyo isn’t anymore.

The cadet is still silent, still looking up at him, and 6 breathes in, “Alright _vod’ika_ , you got a name?”

The kid looks up at him, blinks long and confused at the Mando'a, and 6 has the realization that the kid might not _know_ Mando’a.

The kid tilts his head, and his brow flickers down for just a moment before he answers, rolls the words over his tongue as if he’s tasting them for the first time.

“Hound.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have no clue when Hound got his name so it's entirely possible that he wouldn't have introduced himself with it, but it seemed a fitting line to end on so, yeah kjflskjdf.
> 
> If you want to find me other places I have a [writing tumblr](https://rose-blooms-red.tumblr.com) and a [fandom tumblr](https://themessofthecentury.tumblr.com)
> 
> Please come yell at me about Star Wars and DC!


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